Sport Suspension v Standard Suspension

[walker77]

Does anyone have experience of the differences/similarities between the sport and normal suspensions?

My main worry is that I have just had an 3 Series with M Sport suspension on run flats and it was harsh.

Friends that had the A4 on sports suspension was also pretty harsh.

I'm guessing the Passat Sport will be nowhere near as stiff as the M Sport but just wondered if anyone has any comments.

Thanks.

[A4 Lad]

I had the Sport suspension in my B7 A4 and recently changed it to a coilover setup and I have to say that neither the sports or the coilovers are harsh and that is running on 19" rims. I think its to do with the setup of the suspension arms and positioning that makes it a smoother ride. I know this may be of no help as your looking to know about a Passat but I think they are in the same s4it house but just a different cubicle if you know what I mean lol

[logiclee]

According to What Car the B7 SE has exactly the same suspension setup as the B6 Highline, on the test drive I had it felt the same and I find that setup on the firm side with 235/45X17's especially around town. It's certainly firmer than a standard suspended Mondeo on 17's.
The Mondeo on Sports Suspension and 18's is way too firm and my best man has a 320D M-Sport so I know what you mean with that being too firm.

On the spec of the B7 I'd be pushed towards the Sport but the Sport Suspension would be a concern for me too.

I'm due to have a B7 2.0 140 DSG for a day on Monday when mine is in for it's first service but at this stage I don't know what model it will be. If it's a sport I'll report back.

Cheers
Lee

[yuppyflyer]

In my experience B6 sport suspension was about equivalent to A4 SE suspension firmness, when both spec'd with 17" wheels.

Audi S-line and BMW M-sport in a complete league of their own with regard to stiffness, with their usual 18" wheels compounding this further.

If you are coming from something sportier, then I would suggest at least trying the B7 sport as you may find SE a little soft on cornering.

[logiclee]

Yeh the A4 does have a hard ride even with the standard setup, What Car actually say "The A4 has a lot going for it but the poor ride lets it down"

Best bet is to try the demonstrators but for ride and handling balance I wish Vag could match the Mondeo it feels firm and taught to drive with little roll but rides like a limo. Don't know how Ford manage it. And you can buy the Titanium X without having to have Sports Suspension.
VW should do the "Sport" with optional standard suspension. ;)

Cheers
Lee

[A4 Lad]

Either I am too young to notice this hard ride in the A4 or you guys are all getting too old. Im 34 so ill let you answer for yourself lol

[logiclee]

I'm not much older than you and have been involved with motorsport for most of my driving career. I've just changed jobs but in my old job I used to get hire cars quite often so have tried more than a few different models.

The A4 SE suspension is on the firm side but it's not that much firmer than a Mondeo on the same sized wheels and both handle very well. The difference is the A4 picks up road imperfections and tends to thump over potholes and ridges, the Mondeo is able to smooth out poor road surfaces while keeping the handling taught.
The Passat on 235/45x17's is not too different from the A4 SE, probably a little more supple around town. The Passat on 215/55X16's feels a different car, that's the combo I have for winter tyres, it's much softer but the handling really suffers (That could partly be down to winter tyres)

The Mondeo on sports suspension and 18" alloys looks good but the excellent ride/handling is destroyed, it bangs and crashes around town and skips and jumps around uneven corners. The standard setup on 17's would be quicker on 95% of UK roads and it's a lot better ride. There's page after page of threads over on Talk Ford, some owners have even changed wheels and suspension back to standard,

I've not driven the Passat B7 Sport or the Audi A4 S-Line but it seems sports setups are going over the top for uk roads. Both What Car and Top Gear are now advising to avoid M-Sport and S-Line setups. As I mentioned before my best man has a 320D M-Sport and there is no way I could do 20k miles a year in that.

Oh I once had an Insignia SRI with body kit, sports suspension and 20" alloys. I was doing 20mph around town as it felt like it was smashing itself to pieces. OK it looks nice but why?

I suppose the answer is adjustable suspension, I driven a Sirocco with the adjustable suspension and it works well.

For ultimate comfort try the new C5 Exclusive, it's the best riding car I've been in, the air/hydraulic setup is great for ride comfort but it totally insulates the car from the driver so there's no feed back from any of the controls. Hitting the sport button firms things up but you still get no feed back.
Of the small executive and family saloon crowd the Mondeo has the best alround setup in my opinion but got a much better deal on the Passat.

And finally I'm not suggesting everyone go out and buy a Mondeo, there are many other factors that determine your choice of car but Ford have managed something special with the Mondeo setup.

Cheers
Lee

[johnloaderuk]

I'm now on my second B6 Passat. My first was a Sport, and having come from a B5.5 SE I found the suspension pretty hard at first. I'd be driving up the motorway and kept looking in the mirror to see what I'd driven over, only to see nothing at all - you do feel the slightest of bumps which you never realised were even there before. Now have a B6 Highline Plus, and I find it's a far more comfortable ride on most roads.

I do miss the way the Sport could be thrown around corners/roundabouts etc, something my newer Highline doesn't do at all well, despite having the same size wheels and tyres. I soon got used to the sport suspension and after a while you forget it, with only the worst road surfaces reminding you it's not set up for comfort.

You need to test drive both to see which you prefer, on the type of roads you would normally be driving on.

I would think the B7 suspension is very similar if not exactly the same.

[logiclee]

I would think the B7 suspension is very similar if not exactly the same.

According to What Car the B7 SE has exactly the same setup as the B6 Highlne although they quote the sport as having a new setup. I'd expect that to be limited to sping and damper settings rather than anything exotic.

Cheers
Lee

[Passat Sport]

I've very recently changed from a Mondeo Titanium X on 18" wheels to a Passat Sport on 17". There is no doubt that the handling/steering on the Mondeo was noticeably better. That's not to say that the Passat is bad, just not as good - the Mondeo is exceptional.

As for comfort, I agree the Mondeo was very hard. My wife much prefers the ride in the Sport.

[Maddison]

Hi

Does anyone have any front and back standard suspension springs for an A3 1999 1.8 20v FWD that they dont want?

Thanks

[ian-f]

Don't loose sight of the fact the designation is really only that, i.e. a trim level. It's not really 'Sport' suspension just a big harder and lower. I've a 'Sport 140TDI' Estate and at the end of the day it's still very large wallowy tank, just a bit harder over the bumps.

[cookie-monster]

Hi i have a bora with lowering springs and its made the ride bouncy and rather rubbish are coilovers harsh and bouncy or not ? many thanks ben

[A4 Lad]

I bought a set of Weitec coilovers from a sponser on this forum and they are better than the standard shocks as far as comfort and several people have said how comfy she is on the ride.

http://tapatalk.com/mu/5e0201e1-4659-120d.jpg

And as you can see, she is low :)

[cookie-monster]

She is very nice too :D

[A4 Lad]

Cheers :) I bought them from Crasher. I had forgot his name earlier lol

[TS1972]

I have the DSG, Sport version estate. Mileage is 37,000. Wheels 17” and on good tyres
The issue I have is that the car seems to sink to just over the tyre level on both sides at the rear when the boot is full. Also it transmits a bit too much noise into the cabin when going over drain covers and pot holes. However I can drive quickly around corners, noticeably better than my 2005 A6 Avant.
As a comparison I test drove a 2013 Mazda 6 estate, it was their Sport model and it had large 19” wheels. I have to say that this car handled the bumps noticeably better.
Could I say for a few hundred pounds buy some a suspension that is a bit softer or is it more complex than just upgrading parts?
What do other forum members thing about their B7 suspension and have you considered a change?